That's Funny!

[Bikewer]

Laughter "therapy", that is. Yet another import from the mystical depths of India.
NPR had a short segment from a reported who's been going to one of these things regularly. It was a rather tongue-in-cheek article, but it was obvious that folks are taking this seriously.

And, as one might expect, there are franchises available after one "graduates"....

 

[dann]

This has been big in Scandinavia for the past couple of years:
http://www.latterklub.dk/main.htm (latter = laughter)
Sometimes they even claim that it can cure (sorry: "has a positive effect on") cancer. They have yet to come up with a single joke that can make me laugh, and in general all I have to do to laugh out loud is to go to the Humor Forum.

 

[pyewhackett]

Laughter is the best medicine?

This stuff has been around in India for many years - combined with yoga and meditation, known as 'laughter therapy' or 'laughter yoga'.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/insideout/west/series4/complementary_therapy.shtml - scroll down mid-way.

also:

http://www.laughterforlife.org/

I saw a video of a 'laughter class' a few years ago. It looks like contrived or manic laughter to me!